Welcome New Employees

Submitted by news on Aug 30th, 2011

Please help us welcome Putney’s newest employees. From left:

Jonathan Riseling is a professional dancer in New York City and internationally. He will be filling the dance class duties recently vacated by Kalya Yannatos, who has gone to Choate to oversee their arts program. Jonathan has taught at Adelphi University, in New York Public schools, with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, and for the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.

Martha Black is our new residential nurse. She comes to us from Ithaca College’s health services, and holds a B.A. from Colby Sawyer College, and an R.N. from Hartford Hospital School of Nursing. She’ll be living in John Rogers dorm.

Maria Ogden P’07,’09, formerly of Summer Programs, is returning to work during the school year in the health center. Maria has an associate’s degree in nursing from Yavapai College.

Helen O’Donnell has worked here for some years as the evening printmaking teacher and girls’ soccer coach. Now she will be joining the academic art department, taking over Brian Cohen’s printmaking studio classes.

Amanda Nguyen is our new assistant dean of students. Amanda graduated with a biology major and education minor from Bowdoin College, where she was active in student government, the outing club, and student leadership training. She also brings an interest in ceramics, creative outdoor cooking, and mindful learning to Putney.

Tom Kardel has taken over as dean of students from Ben Freeman, who is now head of a new semester program at Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester, Vermont. Tom holds a master of arts in Spanish from Middlebury College, a B.A. in theater from Kalamazoo College, and has teaching and administrative experience from Walnut Hill and Kimball Union Academy.

Krzys Piekarski is here finishing his Ph.D. in English, but we have already put him to work. He’ll be coaching and leading a Long Fall trip.

Abelardo Almazan-Vazquez will teach Spanish and coach soccer. He has an M.A. in Spanish and Latin American studies from Cleveland State University and a B.A. in teaching Spanish as a second language from Universidad Internacional UNITER. Albelardo has experience teaching at Ohio’s Gilmour Academy and at the Middlebury Language Institute.

Mark Green (not shown) is joining Putney as Major Gifts Officer. Mark has had extensive development and fundraising experience at Dartmouth College, The Grammar School, The Greenwood School, and White Mountain School. In addition, he knows Putney well, having served here as Associate Director of Admissions in the mid-1990s. Mark has a B.A. from Hamilton College and an M.Ed. from Antioch College of New England.

Annie Petersen has a Ph.D. in media studies from the University of Texas and will teach English. She also holds an M.A. in English from the University of Oregon and a B.A. in rhetoric-film studies from Whitman. She has also taught at both of these colleges.

Penny Ridgdill, a math Ph.D. from UMASS Amherst, will fill an open slot in the math department. She also has earned a B.S. in math from the University of Georgia and has taught at the Universities of Arizona and Massachusetts.

Olivia Sanders is our new admission office manager. She holds a B.A. from Marlboro College, where she was assistant to the dean of students and to the director of academic advising.

Katie Ross is our new gardener and farm assistant. Katie has a B.A. in legal studies with a minor in art history from UMASS Amherst, and an M.S. in environmental studies and integrated learning from Antioch.

Alice Roby, who worked with Putney students on the Sustainability Squad as part of her master’s degree work at Antioch New England Graduate School in environmental studies, will also teach Spanish. Alice has a B.A. in Hispanic studies from Lewis and Clark and has taught at the Teton Science Schools.